Piston skirt expander



` Patented-er. l

y j PxsroNsm'r ExPANnEa' admirar., Buer, Hunan, man., signor to Hastings lilanufactnri'ngV Company,

Hastings,

annum mn s. m9. sensi No. 5,704

1c (c1. ace- 1n v 'Tnismvennon rentes to. pistonI skirt eipsndrs.

First, torprovide afpiston skirt 'expander-chan r mannerstofdevelop.and applyth'e expanding ef- 10i; fect :of `both"elenients..

Thil-d. toprovide' anexpander of the typedescribed 'fini the, `form .of an element imparting ya predetermined 'spring 'expansive' action 'to -a piston.` skirt :by its owny inherent` resiliency and 's; means for supplementing said action.

Further @objects relatingv to details and economies of my `invention will definitely appear from theV descriptionto` follow. The invention is defined' in the'claims. y y

S. A'stru'cture embodying the features of my invention isl illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, wherein: y

Fi'g..*1fisiazfview'in elevation of a piston having'an expanderxof-'myinvention inserted there- 255m in :operative position,

Fig. 2 isan enlargedfragmentary view in horizontal sectionillustrating-the'- details of my expander construction.

Fig. v3. is a, perspectiveI view t illustrating the ex- 30, pander in normalfrelax'ed condition.v

The present invention relates to. an expander.

ad'aipted tobe yinsertedin-the slot in a piston skirt. andzby the v#expansive action thereof to- -spreadr'or Vexpand 'the skirt and 'thereby elimi- $51nate[undesirable looseness of the piston in a cylinder.v 'I'heinventionconsistsin the provision of an element havingay pair of spring. expander jaw carrying-arms adapted to be'engaged in the-piso tonL slot to' expand the *skirt circumferentially fandmeans inir the'v form of a-further element rigidly securedto'the iirst element `and likewise,

l'iaving.` ar pairfci'arms,v said lastl named arms being'engaged' by the` arms vof the first named A element with f a deilectlng-V action.. thereby supplementing the i circumferentiall expanding action of ,the rstnamed arms by a further radial thrust supplied bythe last named arms.

Referring to the drawing, the reference nu- =meral I in general indicates a piston having a skirt! provided with* the usual slot 3. This slot is'vmilled'to.A provide seatsl 4, for the expander, which is generally indicatedI by the reference numeral l5. f Details yo1 construction of the expander are illustrated clearlyrin Figs. 2 and .3 and consist of an outer loop o r bight-shapedelement i having a flat Vor substantially at base orv transverse'portion I integrally connecting a pair of spring arms I. The element 8 is'made of a suitable spring 5 steel. The'arms l terminate in oppositely facing out-turned jaws 9 which are adapted to be engaged in seats I as illustrated inFigs 1 and 2. By the construction above described, an expander element is provided which, dueto its own charlo acteristics. possesses a considerable expansive action tending to spread the skirt in a. circumferential direction. However, I have found that in order to produce an eilicientk or a sufliciently strong expander with merely a pair of skirt en- 15 gaging arms, it must be made of such size and weight of material as to be objectionable or even impossible of use, because of the fact that it increases the weight and cost of the element and,

in addition, is likely to interfere with the throw ,o of theconnecting rod within the skirt.

It is therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an expander having the desired expansive force and at the same time being compact, 4light in weight, economical to produce, and 25 easy to install. To this end I provide a second resilient element, generally indicated I0, which is somewhat similar in shape to the `element 6 in that it has a base II parallel to the base 1 and a pair of arms I2 integrally connected to the base. 30 These arms terminate in -lnturned end portions I3 which are normally spaced from jaws 9, see Fig. 3, but which are engaged by the said jaws when the latter are compressed and inserted in the operative position inslot 3, see Fig. 2. The element I0 is ixedly secured to Velement B by means of rivets I4 or other suitable rigid securing means.

From the foregoing remarks, it is believed that the operation of my improved expander will be o clear. When the arms B of outer element 6 are f compressed for insertion in the slot, the jaws 9 engageendpportions I3 which are thereby deflected, displace'dcor biased inwardly, inasmuch as element I0 is likewise of spring material. 5 During this deflection, jaws 9 slide lalong the portions I3. When the element 6 is released to bring jaws 9 against seats 4, as illustrated in Fig. 2, th-e said jaws spring outwardly partially due to their own resilience and partially due to the outward thrust and resilience of arms I2 andthe tendency of the latter to react or return to unbiased condition. 'I'he jaws remain subject to this force transmitted from element I0 in operation. It will thus be perceived that the skirt 2 is u subjected to a strong circumferential expansive fief -Ijnave illustrated and described my lima-eve'- i-'men'ts in an embodiment which is very practical.'

f "Ir'hav'e not ,attempted toillustrate. or describe other embodiments or adaptations as it'is -be'- =--'lieved.-this disclosure will enable skilled in .the art to embody or adaptmyiinprovements as may be desired. f .j

. Having thus described my. inventiomyvhat I minating in out-turned jaws adapted to engage in the slot of'a piston, a secondrbight-shaped element disped within the nrstan'd having arms 2Q terminating in inturned ends s pacedfrom the jaws, and means for xedly securing said elements together, said jaws :being positioned in spaced relation to said end. portions in normal relaxed condition of the expander, and engag- 3!! ing the said end portions-when the jaws are compressed for insertion in'a piston slot, such engagement biasing the arms of the second element, and causing the reaction thereof to be transmitted to said jaws to supplement the expansive action of the ilrst named element.

2. A piston expander comprising an element of` spring metal having arms terminating in outturnedjaws adapted to engage in the slot of a piston, a second resilient element disposed within the iirst, and means for iixedly securing said elements together, said jaws being positioned in spaced relation to said second element in normal `relaxed condition of the expander'and. engaging/ said second element when the jaws are coms pressed for insertion inthe piston slot, such engag'ement biasing the second element, and causing the same to react thereafter to engage and supplement the expansive'action of the nrst named element. w 3. Ay composite piston expander comprising a pair of spring metal elements, and means lfor rigidly securingv the same together, one of said elements having compressible converging arms f elements having-compressible arms terminatingv in out-turned jaws for operatively engaging the slotl ina piston skirt andthe other of said ele- ',-Lments having a portion positioned relative to said arms to be engaged thereby upon compres- '.sion of the arms and. in engaged position to sup- '7 plement the expansive action of the jaws on the 'claim as new and Vdesire to secure'byLetters Pat- I 1. A piston expander comprising a bightshaped element of spring metal having arms 'rsubjected to biasing stress when-the jaws of the 5. An expander of the type described comprising a bight-shaped element oi spring material having arms terminating in Vout-turned jaws adapted to engage in a slot of a piston skirt, and a resilient ,element within the bight of said rst 5 named element. said resilient element being engaged .by saidy arms upon compression thereof, to

insert the expander in the slot, said engagement deilecting` said last named element and causing the same to supplement the. vexpansive action of the bight-shaped element.

6. An expander of the type described comprising an element oi spring materialv having out- -turned terminal portions adapted to engage-.in a slot of a piston skirt, and a second element secured to said rst named element and having independently movable portions adapted to Vbe deectingly engaged by said ilrstnamed portions upon compression thereof to insert the expander in the slot, said said element-thereafter reacting and supplementing the expansive action of the iirst named element.

'7. An expander of the type described vcomprising a bight-shaped element oi spring material having arms terminating in out-turned jaws adapted to engage in a slot of a piston skirt, and a second element within the bight oi! said rst named element, said second element being engaged by said arms upon compression thereof to insert the expander in the slot. said engagement causing the second element to supplement the expansive action ofthe bight-shaped element.

8. A composite piston expander comprising a -pair of coacting elements, and meansvior rigidly securing the same together, one of said elements 8i being resilient and terminating in means for operatively engaging in a slot in a piston skirt and the other or said elements being positioned relative to said resilient elemntto be engaged and biased thereby upon compression of the same for insertion inthe 4slot and to thereby supplenient the expansive action oi said resilient element.

9. A piston expander comprising an outer member having a substantially flat back portion s terminating at each side in outwardly projecting converging spring arms, the arms terminating in diverging engaging jaws, and an inner member comprising a substantially flat back portion disposed centrally upon the inner side of the back o portion of said outer member and fixedly secured thereto, said inner member having outwardly converging spring arms terminating in internal ilange-like portions which are engaged by the converging spring arms of said outer member and outer member are engaged in a piston slot;

10. A piston expander comprising an 'outer member having a substantially fiat back portion terminating at each side in outwardly projecting w spring -arms provided with out-turned piston engaging jaws, and an inner member disposed upon. the inner sidev ofA the back yportion of said outer i memberand-secur'ed thereto, said inner member Y. having outwardly projecting spring arms which .s

are engaged by the spring arms of said outer member and subjected to biasing stress when the jaws of the outer member are engaged in a piston slot.

, EDWARD L. BAUER. .io 

